Device for thawing out frozen pipes



(Nb Model.) D. HA. STREEPER. A Y DEVICE -I'OEA THAWING OUT FROZEN PIPES6m.' Patented July 18, 1893.

W/ TNE SSE S.'

ATTGHNE YS.

lUNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

DANIEL H. STREEPER, OF NORRISTOWN, PENNSYLVANIA.

DEVICE FOR THAwlNe ouT FROZEN PIPEs', sac.

SPECIFICATION forming part'of Letters Patent No. 501,744., dated July18, 1893.

Application tiled March 11, 1893. Serial No. 465,559. (No model.)

.To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, DANIEL H. STREEPEE, of Norristown, in the county ofMontgomery and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and ImprovedDevice for Th'awing Out Frozen Pipes, &c., of which the following is afull, clear, and exact description. t

The object of the invention is to provide a new and improved device forconveniently and rapidly thawing out frozen pipes, drains and the like.

The invention consists of a boiler connected with a pump for supplyingthe Water to be heated in the said Vessel, and an outlet pipe for thesaid vessel and through which hot water or steam from the said boiler isforced by the action of the said pump.

The invention also consists of certain parts and details, andcombinations of the same, as will be hereinafter described and then pointed out in the claims. E

Reference is to behad to the accompanying drawings forming a part ofthis specification, in which similar letters of reference indicatecorresponding parts in all the figures.

Figure 1 is a sectional side elevation of the improvement. Fig. 2 is anenlarged sectional side elevation of the vWater -heating vessel. Fig. 3is an enlarged transverse section of the drum carrying the coil of pipe,the section being taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is an enlargedsectional side elevation of the outer end of the lead pipe with pilotattached for insertion into the frozen pipe. Fig. 5 is a like view of apilot and rod for forwarding hose in frozen pipe. Fig. 6 is a similarView of a exible pilot to pass around curves in frozen pipes. Fig. 7 isan enlarged cross section of a lead pipe strengthened by a rod.

The improved device for thawing frozen pipes as illustrated in Figs. lto 7, inclusive, is arranged in a suitably-constructed box A containinga plumbers heating'furnace B of any approved construction, and in whichis held a'boiler or vessel C containing the Water to be heated by theheat from the furnace B. Into the boiler C leads a water supply pipe D,reaching with its lower end close to the bottom of the said boiler, asplainly illustrated in Fig. 2. The outer end of the pipe D is connectedby a hose D Withahand pump E of any approved construction` and havingits suction pipe E reaching into a vessel F containing a supply ofWater. for actuating the pump is pivoted on the cover of the box A andextends with its free end outside of the box to be within convenientreach of the operator, to actuate the pump E so as to draw the Waterfrom the vesselFinto the pump, and to force it out of the latter throughthev hoseD into the supply pipe D, which finally discharges into theboiler C near the bottom thereof.

From the upper closed end of the boiler C leads an outlet pipe Hsupported on suitable legs H attached to or resting on the bottom of thebox A, the said legs also conveniently supporting the boiler C withinthe pot of the The handle G l furnace B. The outer end of the outletpipe H is connected by a hose H2 with one end of a pipe I which extendscentrally through the hollowaxle or hub J of a drum J, the said pipe lbeing held on suitable legs l arranged on opposite sides of the drum Jand secured to or resting on the bottom of the boxA so as to hold thereel J in the proper position for turning it, the pipel being the axle.The drum J is made hollow and is filled with Water passed through afilling tube J2 into the I drum from one side thereof, the outer end ofthe filling tube being closed by a suitable cap J3. An air vent J5 isalso arranged in the drum J to permit the escape of air while lillingthe drum with water through tube J2. In

case the Water in the drum gets cold it can readily be reheated byforcing steam through tube J 2 into the cold water. The ends of the hubJ are closed by suitable stufling boxes J4 to render the joint betweenthe pipe I and..

the hub J Water-tight. That part of the pipe I extending between thestuffing boxes Within Athe hub J is perforated to permit vthe water topass into the said hollow hub and from the latter into a pipe Kleadingfrom one end of Y the hub J alongside one face of the drum J tothe rim thereof on which the pipe K is formed into a coil K adapted tobe unwouud from the drum to be passed through an opening A in oneV endof the box A. The outer end K2 of this pipe carries a pilot L-forconveniently guiding the end of the pipe K into and through the frozenpipe to be thawed out.

I prefer to use a lead pipe K2butl may employ a hose instead of the leadpipe,\t'he end of ,the hose being attached by wire or other suitablemeans to the pilot as will be readily understoodby reference to Fig.v 5.In this case I attach to the pilot L a rod L2 for forcing the pilotforward in the frozen pipe, the pilot then leading a iiexible hose.

As illustrated in Fig. 6, I may mount the pilot L3 iiexlbly on the endof the pipe. For

this purpose, I solder or otherwise fasten to the end of theI pipe K2,a; spring K5 fastened'- with its forward end to the pilot L2, theconnection between the pipe K3 and pilot L3 being by means of a shortpiece of rubber t'uvb'-V ing K6. l v

A- rod L4 is screwed into or otherwise removably attached to the pilotfor inoyingth'e pilot forward in the pipe. This arrangement isspeciallynof great service in oase the pipe is to pass around curves.The pilot L3 withl the rod L4 is first inserted into the straight as faras it will go and then the' rod L4 is unscrewed and the pipe K2 ispushed so'that the flexible hose K6 readily passes around the curye'with thefpilotpin front.

pipe K1 preferl to solder1 a ywire K2 to the outer surface thereof, asillustrated in Fig. 7. This nis necessary if extreme-ly long lengths ofpipe: are required, as the small pipe could not readily be forwardedonac'count of kinks or vlinalni's forming in it. l o

'I lre operation is as follows: p The coil K is partly unreeled``from-the" drum J, so that the pilot Loan be run into they frozen pipe,and then the operator startsl the furnaceB and aotuates the pumpv E,sothat water from the supply vesselh` is forced into the boiler C inwhich' the water is heated and steam gener-3l atedand forced out throughthe'pipe'H on' the further action-,of the pump E'. The wate'r 1 in aheated condition or the steam generated tates, a pipeK leading fro'nsaid central vtube passes from the pipe II through the hose H2 to thepipe I and discharges through the perforations `therein into the; hollowhuloV J', which thu'sbecomes heated and heats the water contained in thedrum J, so that the coil of pipe;` K is heat-ed.l At thesam'e time hotwater yor steam entering the hub J can pass from the latter through thepipe K in'to thecoil of pipe K and through th eend thereof o intoA thepilot L and into the frozen pipe into the' liot vwater or steam is' thusd ischarged, the' hot water or steam melting the ice and thus thawingthe pipe. As the thawing proceedsin the frozen pipe the coil K 1canbefurther unreeled from the'druin J and further pushed into" thefrozen pipe until the' latter is completely thawed out, it being uningthe pump E. In case the pipe worked on is lling with water the lattercan be readily pumped out by connecting the pipe H2 with the suctionpipe E and then working the pump E. By the removal of the water fromthel pipe to be thawed the hot water or steam injected on the ice willbe more effective thereon. When the pipe has been thawed out, theoperationceases. The operator reels ,up the coil on the drum J andextinguishes I claim as new anddesire to' secure by Letters the fire inthe furnace B.

Having thus fully described my invention,

Pat-ent;-

1. In au' apparatus of tirec'haracter, de-

scribed7 ajfurnace, a spherical boiler within `said furnace,- a pumphaving its discharge l pipe Vextending down through the said boiler fand discharging near the bottom thereof and ,an outlet pipe leading fromthe top of the j boiler and through vvhicl'lv thewater' is forced E bysaid pump and a supply pipe for the pump,

Subst-antially as set forth. part' of the frozen pipe and pushed forwardi its operating lever extending to the exterior,

f' a'lpl'umbers furnace and' boile'rin the casing, i V, l v p A thedischarge pipe leading from th'e pump' to .In order to strengthen theend of the l'ea'd 1 the boiler, a supply pipe and lreserx'foir for f thepur'npan outlet pipe'leadin'g from the upper end of the b'oiler and areel inthev casing having a tubular axis with which the said outlet pipeis connected, and a iiexible pipe 'i woujnd on the reel and connectedwith itsaxis `to conduct the" water therefrom; the'casing having anaperture th'rou'gh which the iiexiprovided with stuffing boxes at itsendsa perforated pipe extending through said tub'e and stuffing boxesand,upon which the drum ro'- and piping K wound on the reel and connectedwitho'uter'end of pipe K, substantially as set forth. Y

4. The combination with the hot wa'terpipe K2 to enter thel pipe to betreated and having a suitable pilot on its forward end', of anexib'l'estiffening wire K4 secured longitudinally along th'eexterior of thepipe, substantially asset forth. o

5. The combination with tliehot waterp'ipe K2 having a 'section of heiseK'iat its :forward eni p provided with' a pilot Lana mi internal spring'connecting the pilot and tube, substantially as' set forth. y

u 6. The combination with the" flexible hot water pipe K2 provid-eu with'a `ion-g"immun-ily extending flexible stiffening wire K5 and a IOO IIO

pilot L3, of the iiexible pu'sh rodfdetachabiy a exible-pushrodfremovablyconnected with connected at its forward endwith thepilot,the said pilot, substantially as shownand dexo substntiaily as setfcrth. scribed. l

7. device of the c ass described, provided 5 with a, flexible pipeadapted to to be passed DANIEL H' STREEPER into the frozen pipe,' a,pilot arranged on `the AWitnesses: outer end of the said iiexible pipeto pass J. WATSON PRINTZ, over obstruct-ions in the said frozen pipe,and WM. H. AHN.

